Never Ends
by Gem Jazz
Summary: The school is back and they have got plans. Not mention Max, Angel and Nudge. Iggy, Gazzy, Fang and Total have plans of their own. I'm not into romance but there is a little in here as well as Action adn the usual. Click On It You know you want to.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Business as Usual

Okay this is a story about Max, Iggy, Nudge, Angel, Fang, Gazzy, Total and Akila after book 4. If you could read it and review it the evil cookies will bless all _your_ stories for the next twenty years. Thanks for clicking even if you don't!

_**Gem**_

Disclaimer: James Patterson owns the Maximum Ride characters. (But I own the plot.)

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Max's POV

Note to self say no next time Angel wants to keep something. Especially if it's a ten ton dog! Akila wasn't the only problem right now however.

"Max?" Nudge asked.

"Yes?" I asked with the infinite patience all leaders seem to posses.

"I'm hungry." She said. I didn't look back at her. I swear Angel had been giving her bambi-eye lessons.

"Yeah I'm hungry too Max." Gazzy joined in. I sighed.

"Alright hold on you guys were going to stop and refill." I looked down and couldn't see anything promising as you know where flying over a plain in the middle of nowhere.

"Right. Iggy, Fang any ideas?" I asked them looking a little to my left.

"I hear dessert mice are abundant this time of year." Fang suggested innocently, casually glancing Nudge's way. Nudge's mouth dropped open in disgust.

"Ewe!" She squealed. "I am so not eating mice! Because you know mice are like related to rats! And I hate rats…" She spluttered.

I rolled my eyes at Fang who smirked back.

"Nudge we're not going be eating rats." I interrupted her between rants. She blinked at me and nodded confirmation.

"So what are we going to eat?" Total asked from Iggy's shirt.

"Shut up a second and I'll tell you." I ordered harshly. Total stopped and waited. Akila squirmed around in my arms again making me nearly drop her, she didn't like flying for some reason. The flock waited diligently for me to make a decision.

Alright voice any helpful suggestions? I asked it darkly.

_Yes, try the wild berries._ It said. I frowned and studied the pale thorny bushes below us.

Uh aren't wild berries like poisonous? I pointed out. Wondering why the person who supposedly cared about us so much was trying his best to kill us.

The voice sighed. _I'm not trying to kill you Max._

Sure and sending us to the school is like you're idea of a holiday in Hawaii. I replied dryly. The voice didn't reply and I knew that was the end of _that_ conversation.

"Well?" Iggy asked again. I blinked and realized I had been silent for too long.

"Well I know it's not roasted peanuts but those berries are edible." I said promptly. With no other ideas I went with it hopping he really wasn't trying to kill us.

I looked up in time to see Angel give me worried look. Dang it! That kid didn't miss much.

I smiled reassuringly and maneuvered my wings to land next to a bunch of spiky dead looking bushes.

"Alright guys grubs up." I said enthusiastically. God being the leader was so hard some days.

Gazzy studied the berries for a second and turned to Iggy who was half a pace behind him. "I think I would prefer the grubs." He moaned. Then after showing Iggy where the bushes were, swallowed six of them at once.

After a surprisingly non-poisonous lunch we continued heading north.

It was a pretty basic flight, more teasing and tossing dogs from person to person. When the sun stared to sink I decided to look for a place to land.

"Hey Max what about there?" Fang suggested. I looked in the direction he was pointing and nodded.

"Yeah perfect." It was a cave in the side of a hill, It had a bit of a cliff in front of it. As we flew up to it I felt sort of odd.

_Alright you I swear if I have another headache I will so kick you're…_

That was as far as I got before I landed heavily on the edge of the cliff. I dropped Total over the side. His half grown wings saved him from falling to far down the cliff face before Angel caught him.

"Max are you all right?" Angel asked in concern. I nodded. I got unsteadily to my feet my head still spinning. We backed up a bit to give the others room to land. Total jumped down from Angel's worried grasp as Iggy came next with Akila. He dumped her on the ground making her glossy coat dusty and rumpled. She shook herself off and half ran, half wobbled to the cave entrance. Total joined her giving Iggy death glares the whole way there.

"God that dog weighs a ton." He moaned stretching himself out. I grabbed him to leave enough room for the others. Total growled in a very un-like dog way.

Nudge, Fang and Gazzy landed in a neat row. They all studied me with concern.

"I'm fine." I assured them. Nudge went to open her mouth and I forced smiled.

"Berries Nudge." I pointed next to the entrance where two bushes had produced berries by the mouthful. It was amazing we all had dinner that night.

I was happy when when my head slowly stopped throbbing. 'The Voice' was punishing me for not following his coordinates (aka the flipping school) and this was one of many episodes I had had recently. The others were getting really worried about me and I was starting to wonder about the expiration dates.

We decided to crash early. Angel curled up with Total and Akila who really didn't look like she wanted to go to sleep. Everyone else settled by the banked fire. As I was just getting myself comfortable Akila whined. I opened my eyes and Iggy who was taking the first watch coughed uncomfortably.

"Don't worry Ig I got it." I called quietly across the cave. He sighed in relief and went back to listening to the crickets. Akila bounded out in front of me.

"I'll be back in a minuet." I whispered as I passed. He nodded and sat there doing a very good Fang impersonation.

You might not know this about desserts but there freezing at night. I stood there in the dark shivering, wanting to get back to the cave. Akila took forever as dogs tend to do. My senses were on high alert.

I heard a twig snap and something approached from the cave side. I spun around ready to fight what ever it was.

"Hey Max you out here?" Nudge called uncertainly to the night. I sighed silently in relief.

"Yeah I'm here." I called back. Nudge followed my voice and eventually stumbled her way to a stop beside me. Her wings were wrapped tightly about her. I really wished I had thought of that.

"What you doing out here?" I asked as a way of conversation. Nudge shrugged strangely quiet.

"I couldn't really sleep. You know you get so used to beds and then you have to sleep on cave floors, it always takes me forever to adjust. But you guys are really lucky because you can just go to sleep…" She blinked. I slowly took my hand away from her mouth.

What was I saying about her being strangely quiet?

She took a breath and waited for me to speak.

"Yeah I know Nudge. I'm sorry about it all. It really sucks having to sleep in caves and eating wild berries…" I trailed off. The cold was sinking into my bones and I had just remembered Akila. She wasn't where I had left her.

Nudge frowned when she saw me look this way and that.

"What are you doing Max?" She asked wondering what was wrong.

"Uh Akila's not here anymore." I pointed out glancing about the deserted cliff top.

Nudge shrugged. "She could have gone inside." She suggested looking hopefully back towards the cave.

"Or she could be tied up." A smooth voice whispered from above us.

We looked up. About twelve flying Erasers were silently hovering above us. I froze. Out of the corner of my eye I saw an unmoving white patch under the berry bushes. Akila.

Before I could do more then look, an Eraser hit me over the head with something _really _heavy and the Eraser that had spoken shoved rough sweet smelling cloth against my face.

Naturally they did the same to Nudge. Not a single sound was made. I doubt Iggy had even heard.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay wow...I know this may sound sad but I completley forgot about this story...uh i am sorry to the 1 person who reviewed I really hope you didn't die and are infact still alive (or interested) to continue reading it. I promise i will update quicker...infact if you like it i already have chapters 3,4 and 5 ready to go so tell me if its worth and if not i'll delete and start again!

Yours appoligecticlly.

**_Gem_**

* * *

Chapter 2- How why and how

A high pitch whine filled Iggy's ears. He crumpled over the cave entrance in pain. Black, grey and more black flirted its way through his fingers. Panic and pain whirled around him. He groaned as the whine got louder.

"Max!" He called in pain. There was no reply.

Fang opened his eyes to the sound of Iggy's groans. Gazzy sighed and sat up rubbing his eyes in irritation. Angel however shot bolt up right, sending Total who was curled up on her chest flying into Gazzy.

"Oww!" He shouted and turned to glare down at Total.

Fang got up and moved over to Iggy. Angel was right behind him.

"No!" She shrieked. Iggy winced. With barely a thought she shot passed Iggy and Fang and bolted outside.

"Drop them!" She ordered her mind was in a frenzy. The order was ignored because she just wasn't calm enough.

Instead she was laughed at and scooped up casually by a flying Eraser. Fang and Gazzy came to investigate.

When they saw the remaining Erasers had Angel curled up and unconscious Fang cursed and Gazzy remembered when this had happened before.

He opened his wings and flew vertically upwards right at the Eraser who held Angel's limp form.

The Eraser laughed, and casually knocked Gazzy back down to earth. The Gasman skidded across the hard ground and slammed into the side of the cave. Fang counted them and stayed where he was.

For some reason they weren't attacking them.

"See you round freak!" One of the Erasers smiled and saluted Fang. They all laughed as if this was the best joke they had ever heard and did 180 degree turn. They flew off into the night leaving them alone.

Total having gained his senses back ran angrily passed Iggy who was sweating and breathing heavily in relief.

"Alright what happened!" He growled almost dog like at Gazzy. Gazzy sat up. The world spun.

"Why did you wake me up for?" He demanded.

Fang turned wearily. "Shut it Total." He said quietly. Total froze at the quiet anger in his voice.

"They got my sister…again." Gazzy said bravely fighting back tears.

Iggy moaned. "They…they got Angel? Whose they?" He asked leaning against the stone wall. Fang helped Gazzy stand.

"Dumb flying stupid Erasers!" The Gasman spat. Iggy frowned.

Fang checked for injuries on Gazzy and found a nice big lump starting to develop on his head and some scratches along his arms and legs, it was nothing serious.

"They got more then just Angel." Fang said while he examined Gazzy. Iggy looked up in the direction his voice had come from.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked suddenly listening harder for Nudges continuous shatter or Max's dry sarcasm. Neither reached his ears.

"Max and Nudge aren't here." He confirmed Iggy's growing fear.

Gazzy looked around. "Maybe they just went after them?" He questioned. Fang stood up and started pacing.

"No they wouldn't be that stupid." He said after a second.

"Akila!" Total howled form outside. The three boys jumped.

"Oh no!" He went on shouting. "Who could have done this to a fine a creature as this…" He was cut off by Gazzy clamping his mouth together.

"Thank god." Iggy mumbled.

Fang just went back to pacing.

"How do they keep finding us?" Iggy asked.

"That was too easy." Fang thought at loud.

"What do you mean?" Gazzy asked looking at Iggy who had his head cocked to one side deep in thought.

"Yeah it was." Iggy agreed.

They went on like this for five minuets. Gazzy sat there with a bloody headache completely lost. He took a deep breath.

"Will someone tell me what's going on!" He shouted. Iggy and Fang turned to look at him. Total ignored them and kept silently crying over Akila.

"Them getting Max and the girls. It was just to easy!" Iggy pointed out.

Gazzy frowned. "But…"

"No something is happening, they somehow magically overpower Max and Nudge, who have defeated twice as many as before, they keep tracking us…guys this is serious I want to know exactly how the bloody do it!" Fang had worked himself up into a nice rage and banged his fist against the stone cave wall. Iggy stayed silent and Gazzy blinked stupidly.

"Who cares how they did it lets just get them back…" He said as if it were obvious. Iggy suddenly sucked in air.

"That's just what they want us to do!" He noted suddenly.

Gazzy looked at him as if he had gone crazy.

"Well of course that's what…"

Fang cut him off by exclaiming more revelations. In the end Gazzy gave up and waited. When they had finished his mind worked methodically to get them back from the brink of crazy.

"Okay guys…" They both turned sharply to look at him as if they had forgotten he had ever existed. "We have to get them back because we just have to. We can't leave them."

Iggy and Fang looked at each other.

"We weren't going to." Iggy ventured at last. Gazzy growled at them in frustration.

"Then what are we going to do?" He demanded.

"Track them, follow them and track them and find out how their doing it to us."

"But how will we do that?"

"We explore every inch of this cliff face and find their base. Then we follow that." Fang said grimly.

Gazzy frowned. "We get to blow stuff up?"

"Yeah we'll work that into it." Iggy nodded his aporvel and Gazzy cocked his head to one side.

"Would Max approve?" He continued. Iggy and Fang exchanged glances wondering where he was going with this. Total continued to howl.

"Probably not." Fang shrugged and The Gasman smiled.

"Then I'm in!" He laughed suddenly and fluttered ten feet in the air. Iggy smiled conspiratorially "Good to know he's on our side."


	3. Chapter 3

All right…alright…here comes the excuses…so quickly just let you all in my computer hates me, first the internet stops working then the computer goes haywire. Now I am back on line and can resume destroying your minds from the inside out. Now where was I…oh yes chapter's 3, 4 + 5 as I promised.

_**Gem**_

Chapter Three- Helicopter Joy Ride

Max's POV

The air was cold when I woke up. I could here a continuous rhythm like the beating of a drum…or a helicopter. I sat up and pulled the bag from head. The helicopter was small and compact. I glanced about and noticed Angel in a cage next to me.

Nudge was awake and lying with her back against the closed door. There was nobody in the helicopter with us.

Nudge smiled sadly at me and banged her fist against the steel door.

"It's been welded shut Max, same as the windows." She indicated the glass window above my head. I yawned and crawled to my feet. Every part of me hurt including my head.

"The guys around here?" I asked rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Nudge shrugged.

"If they are I haven't seen them." She looked towards a wall of steel that separated the pilot from us. I frowned and stood up. My head touched the roof and I couldn't stand properly.

Nudge moved her legs so I could stand next to the wall without tripping over her. Angel remained unconscious in her cage. I frowned turning to study it. It was an actual cage, not just a dog crate, with steel bars. I was beginning to realize our helicopter was bird-kid proof.

"What now Max?" Nudge asked in a resigned voice.

I breathed in deeply and smiled grimly at the wall. "First we get some answers."

I banged on the wall and shouted too whoever was flying the helicopter to let us out. There was no reply.

"Max their taking us back there aren't they? I thought after…after everything that has happened…why don't they give up? Why can't they just go away?" Nudge was in tears as she finished her endless round of questions. I had a few more I would have liked to add but I knelt down next to Nudge and comforted her.

"I don't know Nudge, I don't. I can't understand why someone would build or try to modify human babies in the first place, let alone constantly try to abduct and kill them." I stopped when I saw I was not doing any good. I sat next her and rested my head against the door.

"Look Nudge we can't understand how these sick twisted whitecoats think. But I can tell you one thing, where a danger to them outside, so they keep trying to bring us back in." I paused and Nudge blinked back her tears. I kept talking because the silence I knew that would follow would drive me to a psychotic breakdown. "Nudge we'll get out and escape like we did last time, and the time before that. However it happens, it will happen because we are way smarter then those dumbots any day. Oh and by the way did you notice the Erasers? I thought they had gotten rid of them and replaced them with the flyboys."

Nudge looked at me sharply and frowned. "What does that mean?" She asked breathing in and out slowly trying to concentrate on what I was saying.

"I don't know." I said truthfully. "But something tells me we'll find out soon enough."

A black speaker in the corner of the helicopter I hadn't noticed before beeped and a deep man's voice came over the intercom.

"This is your pilot speaking, please refrain from moving about the cabin as we are now experiencing some turbulence…" The 'pilot' broke off suddenly and we could here the scuffle for the microphone over the intercom. I snorted and Nudge managed a watery smile.

"Alright you ugly ducklings, listen to me as this is very important. We will take about an hour to get back to The School and then you are expected to meet with some important officials, the little freak will remain dormant until after the proceedings. Try anything and she is a dead duck."

The smooth voice of a super model switched off and Nudge and I shuddered at the words.

"Pity they don't have a two way connection." I commented darkly moving over to Angel. As I knelt over the cage and peered down on her still form, Nudge tried the latch and cursed. The door to the cage had been welded shut as well. We tried for over twenty minutes to pry it open but it was no good. Nudge and I collapsed against the cage exhausted.

"Max the guy's will get us out want they?" Nudge looked at me hopefully and I was suddenly a fourteen year old girl who had been on the run to long and just wanted to go home. Wherever the hell home was.

"'Of course they will, When have they ever let us down?"

As Nudge drifted of into a reflective doze, I sat and sighed. I knew that Fang would be doing everything he could to get us out.

But would that be enough?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four- The Night Goes Boom

Fang landed next to a pile of rock and watched the activity of the Eraser camp through raptor vision.

"I still don't get what you mean." The Gasman argued with Iggy as they landed on either side of him. Fang ground his teeth together as Gazzy continued to whine. Iggy sensing Fang's frustration and adding it to his own tried very hard to placate him.

"Look its simple. When we split…" Iggy stopped in mid-sentence having nearly passed into rocky territory. Fang ignored them both and continued too silently watch the camp.

Iggy lowered his voice from a whisper to barely audible and moved right next to Gazzy's ear.

"When we spilt up The Flyboys came after us, not the girls, so obviously one of us must have some tracking chip. Fang plans to find out which one us it is and neutralize it if possible."

Gazzy opened his mouth then shut it again. He nodded his eyes serious. He looked from Fang to the camp and back again.

"What's the plan?" He asked a little more loudly then Iggy had been. Fang took a deep breath and indicated the main tent.

"Surveillance tent. We get in there and find out what there looking for."

Iggy snorted. "Easier said then done, oh and by the way I think were on their 'most wanted' list so how do you plan to get in there without becoming dead meat first?"

Fang gave him an unnerving smile, which Iggy sensed and frowned. "What?"

"It's called a distraction Ig." He glanced at The Gasman speculatively. "After all didn't we promise Gazzy he could blow something up?"

Gazzy smiled and a dangerous light came into his eyes. "What are we going to make go boom?" He asked in perfect imitation of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Fang and Iggy laughed. "I was hoping we would start with those trucks." Fang said gesturing to them.

"No problem." Iggy said business like pulling off his back pack. "Gazzy I need the blue and red wires a starter key and an ignition string…"

"Got it, got it…out of red wire so you'll have to settle for yellow…"

Fang blinked. "How is it Max hasn't confiscated all this from you?" He asked while they started to assemble the bomb. They laughed conspiratorially.

"Oh she confiscates it off us but then we confiscate it right back." Gazzy explained holding a homemade casing for the bomb steady while Iggy inserted it in gently.

"I see." Fang said amused. He let them finish working and when it was done, instructed them to keep well behind the trucks before planting the bomb. He paused and looked at Gazzy knowing Max would kill him if she found out he had encouraged them to use there talents.

"Gaz when the bomb explodes I want you to fly back to where we stashed Total and Akila and make sure they don't panic and give away our position. Iggy I want you to fly east around the camp and come into the tent the back way and we'll get what we can and go." The Gasman eagerly held the bomb and without waiting for Iggy took off for his position ready to await Fang's signal. Iggy paused a moment to look eerily at Fang with raised eyebrows.

"What?" Fang asked defensively.

"You are such a Maxet sometimes it scares me." He said before taking off. Fang pursed his lips over the comment, and chose to ignore it.

Gazzy's POV

I held the bomb carefully between my hands. Iggy flew directly behind me and flew in my slipstream. We flew low to the ground like real spy's and froze so suddenly when a person with a gun walked passed eyeing the cold night disinterestedly. When he passed we resume our flight path. Only then did Iggy remember the flying Erasers and pulled me sharply to the ground.

"Hey!" I half whispered in warning feeling the bomb rock in my hands. Iggy shushed me and listened intently to the sky.

"I don't see anything." I pointed out wanting impatiently to get on with it. We had to be ready when Fang signaled us.

"Alright but keep a look out those things are more advanced then any we had come up with before." I rolled my eyes at him and sighed irritably when I remembered he couldn't see me do it.

"Let's go its clear of guards and advanced flying cows." I said. Iggy smiled at my joke and we took off again. Carefully and slowly.

We made it to the back of the trunks and I winced when I saw the guards.

"What is it?" Iggy asked in concern.

"There about six guys with machine guns standing around the trucks and there like forty flying cows standing around them…"

"Hold up." Iggy said thoughtfully. He paused and then nodded. "That's the signal." Iggy hesitated a moment then seemed to come to a decision.

"Gazzy fly high, drop it and split. Get Aklia and Total to that submerged cave we found before…" Iggy stopped and I tensed in preparation of the flight. "And keep them quiet because those guys will be over the place looking for you." Iggy added and I nodded then told him 'yes.'

Iggy got smaller as I got higher and freedom hit me again as it did every time I flew. The bomb rested against my chest as I went fifty, seventy feet into the air. I waited a second and watched Iggy slowly fly around the trucks, covered by the ring of trees that grew near the oasis. When I judged him to be at a safe distance, I dropped the bomb. I took two deep breaths and flew like hell.

To make the show more spectacular my bomb hit a petrol truck. That had been purely accidental but it made the fireball bigger and caused the kind of distraction even Max would have been proud of. I watched happily as screaming men and flying cow like Erasers run about on fire. They through themselves onto the sand and attempted to put out the flames. The guilt I would normally feel about this was overruled by the fact that this time they had taken Angle, Nudge and Max, which was unforgivable.

With one last satisfied nod I turned to collect Akila and Total.

Fang's POV

I whistled twice and waited impatiently as nothing happened. On the third signal I saw movement from behind the trucks and sighed in relief.

When still nothing happened, I frowned wondering what could possibly be the problem.

Finally one of the two guys flew high into the air. A moment later Iggy was at my side and I blinked.

"Shouldn't you be helping dentate a bomb?" I asked darkly. Iggy shrugged.

"It'll go off on its own when it hits those trucks…"

I broke off in midsentence when one of the trucks went up in flame. And then several more. We stood transfixed a moment before shaking ourselves out of a daze and worked our way into the camp. Sentries went running to see what the problem was. As pandemonium broke lose in the camp and bits of metal started rain down on us. Iggy found a short cut through the mess by flying over it. He reasoned with all the confusion we would look like escaping Erasers. I agreed and regretted the decision only when we were landing behind the surveillance tent and half a steering wheel clipped me on the back of my wing. I groaned as I hit the ground heavily and was helped up by Iggy.

"Try to stay awake." He said smiling with satisfaction at the shouts and high pitched screams.

"Try to stay human." I responded diving under the back of the tent.

It was conveniently empty and I looked around for something useful. I noticed a strange black machine beeping hysterically and an intercom/radio next to it. I grabbed the hand held beeper thing and told Iggy to grab the files located on the other side of the room.

He crossed it cautiously and found them easily enough. He paused a second

"Fang, how many bloody files are here?" He asked picking them up. I studied it for a moment and sighed.

"To many, take what you got and let's go."

We ducked outside again and something else exploded. The tent I realized was beginning to burn.

"Iggy Up and Away." I called sharply when a non-flying Eraser fully morphed stepped into my path. Iggy waited for me to do the same so he could copy me.

I punched the eraser hard into what appeared to be a tyer off one of the trucks and flared my wings to fly up wards. Something grabbed my left wing and I beat down sharply. My wing still ached from when the steering wheel had hit it. I turned to face the crazed guard who dare face me and broke his ribs.

Iggy copied my movements as I dogged through the strangely cluttered sky and cursed as each wing beat made it flare with pain.

We circled in low to the hidden caves under the cliff and I just made out The Gasman pacing impatiently back and forth outside it.

He waved us in as we circled closer and I landed heavily next to the cave. Iggy landed more gracefully then I did, but for the first time I noticed he had his own bruises and scratches from flying debris.

"Find anything?" Gazzy asked excitedly.

"Yeah we found something." Iggy drawled placing the heavy files into Gazzy's waiting arms. "But we're not sure what."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five – Answer to Question 1.

"I don't believe it." Iggy exclaimed in horror as Fang read at more of the files they had found last night.

"Believe it." Fang said darkly. He glanced down at the Beeper and held it near Iggy's forearm. It was beeping like heart machine counting a dying persons heart beats.

"But…why me?" Iggy asked uncertainly as the thing sped up and slowed down as Fang slowly moved it away from Iggy's forearm. "I mean they had plenty of time to put a tracer in the rest of you…"

"They put one in Max." Gazzy reminded them.

"Yes but Max is special isn't she?" Fang pointed out darkly. "She's supposed to save the world so they would want to keep track of her. I think Iggy might be another uh…experiment…"

"Thanks." Said Iggy dryly. "Because I'm the only one with freaking wings here."

"Ig, this is like a history of every where we've been. Like ever. Including when we broke off… uh we took a private trip to some sandy beaches and met the girls on that island." Gazzy broke off thumbing through the file. "Iggy they've been tracing you ever since we left the School for the first time." He said alarmed.

Iggy sat motionless staring dully at his forearm.

"Hey its all right mate, you didn't know about it and now that we do we're going to switch it off and go get the girls." Fang reassured him studding the Beeper.

Iggy's down cast eyes turned hard. "But they kept finding us because of me. Because the stupid blind bird freak has a freaking chip in his arm!" He shouted the last bit and Total who had been mooning over the now conscious Akila, looked up in irritation.

"Oh stop being so dramatic. You're all freaky bird kids, now pull yourself together and let's go kick some Eraser Butt!" He finished his excited speech by jumping into the air and opening his wings.

They stared at him in shock and exchanged looks.

"Hey maybe the dog breath is right for once." The Gasman said going over to high five Total.

Fang pursed his lips. "Well it answers question 1. How the hell they kept finding us. Now for question 2."

"How do we get the girls back?" Iggy said subdued by the news that he was the one chipped.

"Well that and how do we stop you from making the Beeper beep."

"That's easy, take the batteries out." Gazzy said matter of factly waiting impatiently by the cave entrance. Iggy smiled.

"Yeah but Gazzy we can't take the batteries out of every beeper across dessert we need to get the chip out…" He stopped at the hard look from Fang who was recalling an earlier incident with another chip on the beach. "…Or neutralize it. However, we should get the girls as soon as possible." He stared defiantly at Fang.

"I'll go the other way and meet you somewhere when there out."

Fang shook his head and the Gasman gasped in shock.

"No Iggy! Fang you can't let him do it."

Iggy and Fang stared each other down. For a blind kid Iggy was very proficient at it.

"Question 3 how are you going to stop them from getting you?" Fang asked bluntly.

Iggy smiled. "I thought I would go take a trip up to Dr Martinez's place and see what she can do about it…brings back a few memories huh Fnick?" He asked innocently.

Fang punched him in the shoulder well aware Angel had briefed the rest of them on Max's outburst when she had been on morphine.

"Think you can make it? I mean you are blind so…" He trailed of and sighed in understanding.

"No Iggy, I won't let you go by yourself it's too risky." Iggy raised an eyebrow.

"Who died and made you boss."

"I'll go with him!" Total interrupted darkly. "But can we please move. I mean really in front of Akilea and everything?"

Gazzy glanced from Iggy to Fang and sighed.

"Can't you just come with us?" He pleaded with Iggy.

"I can't have them anticipating our every move. It would be better if I got the chip out sooner then later."

Fang paced to the entrance and went out. Gazzy came to a decision.

"I'll go with you then. We can take Akila and Total can go with Fang…"

"I will not be parted from my beautiful…"

"Total we're all splitting up. Then when you get the chip out we can rejoin Fang and Total and…" He stopped out of breath.

Iggy stood still a moment admiring Fang's ability to manipulate the innocent into volunteering to do things they would never normally want to do.

"Alright Gazzy since Fang seems to be our stand in Maxet we'll go see what he thinks."

Total's continued protests were ignored and Akila lay board inside the cave while the exchange took place.


End file.
